A North Shore Line Potpourri, Part One

August 16, 2015February 12, 2016David Sadowski 7 Comments

Electroliner set 803-804 departs Kenosha in January 1963, shortly before the end of service.

Our very first post (January 21st) featured the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee railroad, and it is high time for another look at that storied interurban.

Last month was the 60th anniversary of the abandonment of the Shore Line portion of the North Shore Line system, but since we showcased the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin in several posts last month, we did not have the opportunity to commemorate that. In the first of two posts, we offer a potpourri of classic North Shore Line scenes for your enjoyment.

CNS&M line car 606 at Kelly Siding on July 14, 1959. The colors on this slide have been digitally restored, after having been shifted to red. The original slide must have been one of the early Ektachromes or Agfachromes that turned out not to have stable dyes.

CNS&M 159, 169, and 175 heading southbound from Milwaukee at the Racine Quarry siding on April 19, 1959. Fans today sometimes refer to these as “Greenliners.”

NSL 711 passing a CTA gate car at Jarvis looking south in the 1950s, headed for the Mundelein branch.

A snowy Skokie Valley Route photo run-by during a North Shore Line fantrip on February 21, 1960.

NSL 167 is at the tail end of a northbound two-car train approaching the CTA Sheridan Road station on July 6, 1955. This was a Chicago Express on the Shore Line Route during its final weeks of service.

A single car NSL Chicago Limited crosses the Chicago River heading south on Chicago’s “L” system.

CNS&M 182 heads up an eastbound train at St. Mary’s Road in the Thornbury Village subdivision (Glen Oaks,IL) on the Mundelein branch on May 31, 1962.

A three-car North Shore Line train heads north on Chicago’s north side “L”, signed for Highwood on the Shore Line Route. Cliff Burnstein adds, “The train is passing Swift School, the only Chicago grade school with an Olympic-sized swimming pool (at the time, at least). The school is still there, approx. 5600 North Winthrop. I attended Swift 1949-1951 and remember well the distraction of passing “L” trains and the NSL. I was probably the only kid in class thus distracted.”

CNS&M Diner-Lounge car 415.

Limited/Special Train Consists

Kyle V. writes:

I am seeking your assistance in figuring this out, as you seem to be particularly knowledgeable in matters pertaining to Chicago interurban history, and your blog posts have been filled with helpful resources.

For a while now (and to no avail) I have been trying to determine what a typical consist would have been on one of the CNS&M Limited/Special trains (e.g. the Prairie State Limited, the Badger Special, Gold Coast Limited etc.) in the Insull years.

I am currently attempting to model one of these trains (though not any one in particular) in N scale, and I have so far acquired both a steel coach and a parlor-observation car (#420). Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find any resource that would let me know what other coaches to acquire for this purpose.

Most photographs (that I have come across) featuring these trains focus primarily on the parlor-observation car, and are taken at such an angle that the numbers and window configurations of the other coaches cannot be determined with any accuracy. I have thus far been unable to find any sort of car assignment records from this era.

I come to you with this in the hopes that perhaps you are privy to some sort of documentation, photographic or otherwise, that could help me solve this issue once and for all (Or could perhaps point me in the direction where I could find this information myself).

Thank you.

We will do my best to help you out, thanks. I posted your request to various online discussion groups, where people who might know the answer would read it. Here are the responses:

Randy Stahl:

Two coaches from the 737-776 Pullman or Standard cars , followed by the 418 or 419 diner and on the tail end you can use your 420.

If you want to back date the train a few years use the 409, 414-416 diners and some coaches from the last order from Cincinnati along with Observation cars from the 410-413 group.

I don’t think the train length ever or rarely exceeded 4-5 cars on the name trains. I have seen pictures of North Shore trains with 6-7 cars and two diners but I don’t believe they were name trains.

I wanted to model these trains too, I couldn’t make up my mind which ones so I am modeling all of them!!

Scott Greig:

It’s been a long time since I looked at any of my CNS&M timetables, let alone any from the name train era…but I want to say that you would see a diner OR an obs car on a given name train, but not both. To a certain degree, that would be duplicating services, as both types of equipment had parlor and/or meal service.

Randy Stahl:

I assumed the diners were for the coach passengers on the named trains?

Seth Bramson:

I believe that the name trains in those days, pre-Electroliners (and maybe some even after the E-liners) carried a dining car.

Lynn Willer:

The North Shore used to be able to loop in Milwaukee so the parlor open end cars could turn easily. North Shore used to terminate further north until the new station was built.

Obviously pre-Electroliner. The Liner solved turning trains.

The Limiteds could have the usual coach cars, the diner and the Parlor.

Probably if you can find the CERA books on the North Shore you may have good info there.

Mitch Markovitz:

The parlors were deadheaded to Harrison to use the wye and be re-stocked.

There would only be coach passengers on a train with diners. I believe for a very short time the noon train, The Cream City, carried both a diner and a parlor.

After the work rule of one trainman per car was changed diners ran second out in a consist leaving the hind end free for making adds and cuts. The kitchen was generally placed facing the rear so the conductor who worked the head 2 cars would not have to continually pass through the corridor into the dining room.

After 1932 when full parlors were discontinued some of the diners had two rows of tables and chairs removed which were replaced by parlor chairs taken from the full parlors. Thus we see printed materials referring to “Parlor-Dining” service with the admonition, “Parlor chairs may be occupied for the service of meals. Patrons occupying chairs beyond the service will be charged the regular fixed rate for such service.”

That (a diner car and a parlor car) makes a nice looking train but I don’t think it’s prototypical. I note in another email that only one train for a very short time carried both.

Diners didn’t provide parlor accommodations until after ’32 when the full parlors were discontinued. Parlor meal service remains a mystery to me. I’ve never seen a photo of the kitchen or a menu. 1923 – 1930 was still in the prohibition era so all my imagination tells me is lemonade and a sandwich.

Parlors ran in non-meal time periods.

As for diners during the ’20s during breakfast departures, the lunch departures of 11am, noon, ans 1pm, and dinner time diners were in consists of non-name trains and I’m not sure they were mentioned in the timetables (CERA Bulletins.)

Joseph Hazinski:

If you look at the track diagrams, the observation cars could also be wyed downtown at 2nd and Wells St. on the streetcar line, a much shorter deadhead then Harrison Avenue. I don’t know if they were but it was possible. The first dinner-parlor cars operated from this location when the terminal was located there before the 6th and Michigan location was built. Also I think restocking took place at the 6th and Michigan terminal. Harrison Avenue shops did not seem to have a place for a commissary while there was food service in the downtown station.

Joe Stupar:

Employee timetable 23, from June 05, 1926, lists the train numbers of trains carrying dining and parlor cars. They are:

Dining cars: Daily; 901, 415, 905, 900, 414, and 906. Daily, except Sunday; 405, 413, 429, 412, 904, and 426.

Parlor Cars: 915, 903, 415, 421, 900, 902, 420, and 916.

The two trains that had both, 415 and 900, the 415 was the Cream City Special departing 63rd-Dorchester at 11:33am for Milwaukee via the Skokie Valley Route, arriving Milwaukee at 2:05 PM. The 900 was the Interstate Limited, departing Milwaukee at 7:15 AM and operating via Skokie Valley to 63-Dorchester, arriving 9:46.

These are the named trains listed in that timetable, with direction and departure time:
900 – Interstate Limited (SB) 7:15 AM (possible misprint, also labeled Badger Limited)
901 – Badger Limited (NB) 6:48 AM
902 – Eastern Limited (SB) 10:00 AM
903 – Eastern Limited (NB) 9:23 AM
414 – Cream City Special (SB) 12:00 Noon
415 – Cream City Special (NB) 11:33 AM
420 – Prairie State Special (SB) 3:00PM
421 – Prairie State Special (NB) 2:33PM
916 – Metropolitan (SB) 3:55 PM
905 – Interstate Limited (NB) 4:26 PM
904 – Illinois Limited (SB) 4:45 PM
906 – Badger Limited (SB) 5:15 PM

Hope this is helpful. Of course, I’m sure it changed from timetable to timetable.

Mitch Markovitz:

That diner and parlor consist didn’t last long. Hard to find in timetables. The thought of it fascinated me for many decades.

On the South Shore after the arrival of the short parlors, Diner + parlor consist existed on 3 round trips with the long parlors appearing only mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I’ve seen photos of the kitchen in a long South Shore parlor and it had a broiler arrangement similar to Pullman broiler buffet cars indicating some form of hot meal service.

I wasn’t there, and I can only report on histories I’ve read. Yes, physically you could tote a parlor with a motor on to the street, then shove the thing all the way in to the midst of downtown Milwaukee streetcar traffic, both NSL and Milwaukee Electric, cross over to the opposite main for the return to the depot, and then re-stock, clean and prepare for the return trip in an hour.

The prospect of that move in my mind as an operating railroader is questionable.

Joe Stupar:

It is also interesting that in 1923 there were no trains with both (dining cars and parlor cars). Timetable 18 lists:

Dining Cars: Daily; 901, 415, 905, 900, 414, 904. Monday only; 921. Saturday only; 417. Daily except Sun; 413, 427, 412, 426. Daily except Sat/Sun; 436.

Parlor Cars: 903, 421, 431, 902, 420, 430.

I have not scanned all of the timetables yet, it jumps from 23 to 52 which was in 1942. This does not tell much about the consist, but I would have to guess the cars other than dining or parlor cars would be however many motors they needed. Perhaps 3 or 4 given the publicity photos I have seen from the 1920s.

George Campbell:

In addition to handling of diners and observation cars in Milwaukee, before the new terminal how did the NSL handle empty incoming cars after passengers were unloaded?

Chuck (mr600v):

Although dining and/or parlor/observation cars sometimes were wyed at Harrison, it was much shorter and easier to wye them at 2nd and Wells.

After unloading, the last coach (motor car) and the parlor/ob could have been cut from the train, backed into the intersection, changed ends then proceeded to 2nd and Wells with the motor car leading. There it would likely pull south on 2nd, then back across Wells, then headed west on Wells again with the motor car leading.

At the station, the two cars could be backed into the station and additional cars added to the front to make up the next train out.

If they were wyed at Harrison, a motor car would have been added to the rear of the parlor/ob to pull it through the city, not push it.

Mitch Markovitz:

Do you have direct evidence that this was the way? I know in Campbell’s book he says he saw the cars taken to Harrison.

After service terminated at 6th and Michigan my opinion, and it’s merely my opinion that making a move with those cars into downtown traffic (streetcar, pedestrian, and other) along with trying to fit the move on Wells Street where the tracks were also used by Transport Company streetcars, along with presenting limited train equipment in the area where the old depot was would be questionable. The distance may be shorter to run up, but my opinion is that the safer. Most efficient route would be down to Harrison.

Before the new depot opened and the trains went to 2nd and Grand (Wisconsin I believe) there were no obs cars. There were the parlor diners.
My opinion, and it’s merely my opinion, is that the consist changed ends, crossed over and waited to depart.

I think we can consult some early timetables to see the times and frequencies.

It was that very short span in 1926 where there was a consist with both.

The brochure “A Trip on the North Shore Line” discusses a train with both and there’s an illustration showing the obs platform with a drum sign reading, “Cream City.”

Randy Stahl:

I based my consist info on that very article (business trip on the Cream City Special). I also know that in the old footage of the Eucharistic Congress they clearly show not only a parlor obs but the sharp viewer will also spot a 404-406 (I think) parlor diner made up as a full parlor car.

I think that there were plenty of instances and opportunity where the two were used together, granted perhaps not on a scheduled train.

I am thinking about the number of cars they had after 1928.

404, 405 and 406 were converted to coaches by Cincinnati in 1923 (734, 735 and 736).

407-408-409, 414-417, 418,419. I think some were stored in 1928 (maybe the 407 and 408), I don’t know how many were still in use by the time the 418, 419 and 420 were delivered in 1928 but it could be as many as seven diners.

410-413 and 420. So there were enough parlor obs and dining cars cars to cover at least 5 trains a day in both directions.

I spoke to George Campbell (years ago) and he was very certain the cars were towed to Harrison St. to be turned and serviced.

Lynn Willer:

That makes the best sense, to clean them up after every run, check the cars out, keep them hot and ready.

Milwaukee had lots of street trackage and the new depot existed then during the parlor years. NS had only recently exited the older terminal.
I found a timetable in the North Shore Memories book listing the parlor trains.

Mitch Markovitz:

The first parlor train of the day arrived in Milwaukee at 10am. The next parlor departure was at 3pm.

That’s a gap of 5 hours. So there was no rush to make a difficult move up to Wells Street.

We haven’t discussed the need to wash a limited train. The line, in competition with and in good operation wouldn’t receive passengers, let alone parlor passengers in a soiled car.

I’ve done a lot of research on the Eucharistic consist. The diners were very new 416 and 417. Indeed the car closest to the obs was stripped of tables and chairs and replaced by parlor chairs. The car was returned to its diner self right after the move. All cars on the train were brand new except the obs which I believe we determined was 413 as it had just been painted.

Lynn Willer:

I was just reading something of that, the tables removed from one end of the diner and chairs placed, parlor seating charged and food was served.

Some limiteds made zero stops between Milwaukee and Evanston.

Just a reminder, the Milwaukee station had pits to service. If you could loop the Parlors around in Milwaukee and spot them at the station that’s a possibility, not that they didn’t or wouldn’t, but when that might have been lost, they would have to run to Harrison.

But the Station may not have had heavy service tools if needed. Quick lubes possible tho. The main roster cars obviously could use it.

I don’t know of many steam road passenger stations having drop pits right at the station…

Mitch Markovitz:

All I’m saying as a former operating guy from the South Shore is that me, Mitch, would not run a 3 car consist into a busy area clogged with traffic and trolleys to turn equipment not needed for another 5 hours or so, only to leave it sit, unwashed, in the depot. That is only my opinion, not specific knowledge or a directive. It’s merely my opinion that a consist in limited train service in those highly competitive years would warrant more of a detailing sort of washing aside from washing the windows as the South Shore used to do at Randolph Street.

Wells Street on the CA&E had pits. Other than that I know of no other operation that had that at terminals.

My years of looking tells me, and again this is only what I gleaned from looking as no one has ever told me directly that after the full parlors were removed several of the diners (one of the 418-419 class or both) had the 4 tables at the vestibule end (2 2-tops and 2 4-tops) removed and replaced with parlor chairs. As the Volstead Act (prohibition) had been repealed the railroad was no free to serve booze. Alcohol was (and remains to be) very profitable. We see parlor car cash fare receipts that may be punched for incremental amounts indicating a revised seat charge plan instead of the flat 50 cent fare with the notation that if you sit in that chair longer than for a meal or beverages you have to pay the “regular fixed charge for such accommodations.” I have seen advertisements showing a female model having a
meal, served on a tray, sitting in a parlor seat, with chairs and tables behind her in what could only be a diner.

Public timetables listed “Parlor-dining car.” The arrangement seemed to be the base for converting 2 cars to “Tavern lounges.”

If you have the book “Route of the Electroliners” and you go to the equipment section under the 418-419 dining cars there’s a broadside photo. One can see in the location I mentioned the backs of several parlor chairs. Something I had always wondered about until I started looking deeper into the matter.

Randy Stahl:

I’m with Mitch , as a current railroad employee I would not want to do switching on city streets either. What a hassle that would be with single point switches and high potential for a high profile derailment and employee injury. Harrison Street is the safe course.

This is a VERY interesting conversation.

Charlie Pitts:

If the comment about washing the exterior of the train was valid, Harrison Street it is.

Randy Stahl:

I don’t believe the North Shore wheels worked well on TMER&L street track so I wouldn’t risk damage or derailment.

That brings up another issue. In CERA 112 it does talk about the North Shore’s display at the Wisconsin State fair and states that the wheels had some damage from this incompatible wheel rail interface. George Campbell also adds that Tony Bauer recalled it in George’s book “North Shore Line Memories”.

How did the somewhat well documented special trains to St. John’s military academy (with a diner) make it to Delafield without wheel damage? I believe this was before the rapid transit line so some TMER&L street running had to happen?

Joseph Hazinski:

It is my understanding that on that portion of Wells Street the track belonged to the North Shore as it was part of their city line which started before the interurban service started as by franchise they had to provide local city service for entry into Milwaukee. This was also true for the Milwaukee Northern which also had its own city service as well.

I suspect the issue with wheels was tread width with the North Shore using a “railroad” wheel and the TM which used a compromise wheel with a somewhat narrower tread.

Don Ross:

North Shore used a standard width wheel while TM were narrower. When we ran TM 1121 to Green Bay Junction it was the only car accepted.

There was a festival which included a race using pump cars between Milwaukee Road and North Western on Wisconsin Road. One of them had the flanges cut back and the race became a joke. I don’t remember which one but it was a toot.

In addition, North Shore wheels were different than standard wheels. North Shore wheels didn’t have a slant, instead they were even. They felt they would be smoother.

I don’t think the turned cars were done at 2nd but rather to Harrison. It was a lot easier and other services were there.

Mitch Markovitz:

We know that standard NSL equipment used that route until 1920. That of course would include the early steel cars. But this was before the NSL changed the wheel profiles that were the result of movies made of what has been described as “nosing,” or lateral motion (CERA bulletin.)

The tracks on Wells Street in question were the property of Chicago and Milwaukee (NSL.) But in order to make a wye move, and this is a question, wouldn’t part of the wye move be made on ME trackage, and disrupt their car service?

If I were a betting guy I’d bet the equipment was washed thoroughly, and they may have even given the brass railing a dab of polish.

Chuck (mr600v):

The trackage on Wells between 5th and 2nd was NSL (C&ME). TMER&L later got permission to use it, connecting to its own tracks on each end.

The wye was made using trackage on Wells west of 2nd, trackage on 2nd south of Wells (old station), and trackage on 2nd north of Wells. This would have been all NSL trackage.

Although turning the parlor/ob cars at 2nd and Wells would have meant several blocks of running through downtown traffic, it still would have been much quicker than running all the way to Harrison and back.

Mitch Markovitz:

If street traffic was clear I guess it would be. But the consist had to be washed and the first parlor arriving in Milwaukee showed up at 10am and didn’t have to go out until 3pm. So, again, what’s the rush?

Kyle V.:

Thank you to David and all of the list members who contributed information to the discussion.

I do believe I now have enough information to determine my consist, and I will upload images of the finished product at some point down the line.

Our thanks to the members of the North Shore Line Railroad Yahoo Group who contributed to this discussion. Hopefully this provides the requested information.

In 1940, car 415 was converted to a “tavern lounge.” June 4, 1949 was the last day of dining car service on the North Shore Line, except for the Electroliners. By October 1950, car 415 had been repainted as a “Silverliner,” and was used on the ‘substitute Liner’ when those cars were in the shop for regular service.

After CNS&M abandoned service on January 21, 1963, car 415 was sold to the Railway Equipment Leasing & Investment Corporation, which was associated with what we now know as the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, Illinois. The car was then sold to Seashore Trolley Museum in 1977 where it remains today.

-David Sadowski

Railfans, Their Cameras, and Camera Stores

August 6, 2015August 14, 2015David Sadowski 9 Comments

The iconic facade of Central Camera, one of the last remaining old-style camera stores in the Midwest.

Today we will explore the close relationship between railfans, their cameras, and their favorite camera stores. Nowadays, photography has truly become both easy and democratic, in the sense that most people now carry around with them a cell phone that is capable of taking surprisingly good pictures. You see the results immediately, so there is a very short learning curve. If your picture doesn’t come out as intended, you simply take another.

‘Twas not always thus.

Chances are most railfans became photographers out of sheer necessity. They were fascinated by railroads and wanted to study pictures of them, yet had no idea where to find such pictures. So, they bought a camera and went out and made every mistake imaginable.

They learned by doing, and over time, many railfans became excellent photographers, whose work is on a par with, and every bit as important, as any other shutterbug’s.

Pieritz Brothers office supply store in Oak Park, in business since 1895, has a sign in the window that says, “If you buy here, we will be here.” The same is true of camera stores, which were once commonplace but have now largely disappeared from the American scene.

Perhaps in the future everyone will order their goods online and have them delivered to their door by drone aircraft, but time was, if you needed to buy film, have film developed, buy a camera, or learn how to operate it, you went to your friendly neighborhood camera shop.

There was a time when cameras were not commodities, and people depended on the experience and expertise of the over-the-counter sales person, who would spend time going over the features and even critique their pictures.

In my own Chicago neighborhood, there was the Montclare Camera Company, on the same block as the Montclare Theatre. In the early 1960s, when I was in grade school, perhaps 25% of a camera store’s business involved home movies.

It was a common thing to joke about back then how your friends or relatives would invite you over to their place for an evening of really bad home movies of their latest vacation or someone’s backyard birthday party. You could only record about three minutes of film on an entire reel. For some reason, the market for home movies had largely dried up even before portable video camcorders became available.

In the early 20th century, enlargers were not commonplace. If you took your roll of film to the photofinisher, a camera shop or drug store, they would make contact prints of your black-and-white film that were the same size as the original negative. To yield a decent sized print, the film had to be very large as a result. Sometimes these large negatives can yield extremely sharp images today.

Many people would take these prints and put them into photo albums purchased at their local dime store, often using paper corners to adhere them to the black paper. By the 1930s, railfans began trading and selling photos to each other. In some cases, they put together elaborate dossiers about certain railroads, complete with original photos and clippings from newspapers and magazines. Others tried to compile complete sets of “roster shots” showing entire fleets of streetcars and interurbans.

Among these early railfans is the venerable Malcolm McCarter, last living survivor of the original 10 founding members of the Illinois Railway Museum. He has been selling railfan photographs for 76 years now and may very well still print them himself, from his vast collection of negatives. You will find his catalog online here.

There was so much to ride at one time, and yet those years must have been, in some sense, depressing. There was one abandonment after another, a nearly endless litany of bad news. We can be thankful for those early fans who were involved, in one way or another, in historic preservation, either through the fledgling railway museums, documenting things through photographs, or both.

Fortunately some of these same fans have lived long enough to see electric railways undergo a world-wide renaissance, with new systems and extensions cropping up all over. Their hard work in preserving this history has now been more than validated.

The changeover from black-and-white to color photography meant a change in approach. When shooting black-and-white, you can expose for the shadows and often retain the highlights, while the opposite is true with color slide film. An overexposed black-and-white negative may still be printable, but with reduced contrast. An overexposed slide will have washed out highlights.

Naturally, over the years, railfan photographers had their favorite camera stores. The biggest and best in Chicago were downtown.

Altman’s was legendary and was like a “Noah’s Ark” of camera stores, with two of every camera or lens imaginable– one to show and one to go. I am sure there are still many Chicagoans “of a certain age” who have fond memories of Shutan, Helix, Standard Photo, Lion Photo, Terminal Photo, and many others that are now gone by the wayside.

And of these, Central Camera on Wabash somehow remains, after 116 years in business. It has become part of history itself.

There is a photo of a prewar Chicago PCC streetcar, taken by the late Robert W. Gibson, on page 61 of Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958, with Central Camera in the background. The store is still in the same location today.

The book collects the work of many unheralded railfan photographers who all turned out to be, in their own way, both transit historians and historic preservationists.

As a co-author, I was recently pleased to discover that Central Camera is now selling copies of the Chicago Streetcar Pictorial and has one on display in their front window, alongside the old Kodak Six-Twenty folding camera, the twin-lens Rolleiflexes, Leicas and such.

Yes, I know that in the long run, it is an uphill battle to keep up with the Amazons of the world. But even in the 21st century, shouldn’t there be enough room left in this world for a few old-fashioned camera stores?

As the sign says, “If you buy here, we will be here.”

-David Sadowski

PS- You can help keep our own doors open by checking out the many fine offerings in our Online Store. You can also make a donation there. We thank you for your support.

Further Information:

Remembering Altman Camera 40 Years Later

Ralph Altman Obituary

A typical folding camera of the early 20th century, this Kodak Autographic camera too very large size 116 black-and-white roll film. The “autographic” feature allowed the photographer to write notes on the actual film negative itself through a door on the back of the camera. The roll film was protected by a paper backing.

This streamlined Bakelite Kodak Bantam camera, which used size 828 film, was the state of the art in 1938 but few railfans could afford to buy one.

Thousands of railfans across America got their start with an inexpensive Argus C3, commonly referred to as “the Brick.”

Truman Hefner took many great pictures with a German Karomat camera similar to this one, which has a high-quality Schneider lens.

The late Bill Hoffman’s last camera was a late 1950s screw-mount Leica IIIg similar to this one. After his passing in the late 1980s, I received his Leica as a gift.

My own first camera, a Kodak Brownie Holiday Flash camera, circa 1963. It took size 127 roll film, then the most popular format on the market.

A Kodak Brownie 8mm movie camera.

For many years, Ray DeGroote took pictures with a German circa-1965 Kodak Retina Reflex III like this one. The gridlike patch at top left is a chemical-based light meter.

Even when there is no other dating information on an original 35mm Kodachrome slide, it can be dated to some extent by the type of mount used.

Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958, published by Central Electric Railfans’ Association, can now be purchased at Central Camera. (Trolley Dodger Press is not affiliated with either Central Camera or Central Electric Railfans’ Association.)

One anonymous railfan’s album on clippings, titled “Roads which have Chicago as their first name.” This title is written out twice, followed by “except CNS&M in separate album.” Interestingly, the album has a section on the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric, which does not have Chicago in its first name.

Chicago, Aurora & Elgin car 408 is in pretty sad shape in this photo taken just prior to its scrapping in 1962. It was a sister car to 409, which was sold to Trolleyville USA and came to the Illinois Railway Museum in 2009. We can be fortunate that there were enterprising railfan photographers who documented the last days of the “Roarin’ Elgin.”

Car 102 of the the Elgin Belvidere & Rockford sits forlornly in Marengo in this June 1937 photograph. By then, the line, which quit service on March 9, 1930, had been abandoned for more than seven years. Owner Bion J. Arnold kept these cars in storage in the futile hope that a buyer could be found. We can thank the unknown photographer who preserved this small slice of history.

Elgin Belvidere & Rockford car 203 was built by St. Louis Car Company in 1906. It was 31 years old when this photo was taken in 1937 in Marengo. A portion of the Elgin & Belvidere interurban right-of-way now serves as the main line for the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. An original Elgin & Belvidere motorman lived long enough to operate a car over the new right of way when the museum began operations here in the 1960s.

The CA&E in Black-and-White

July 31, 2015August 1, 2015David Sadowski 12 Comments

#1 – CA&E 460 in Elgin on May 14, 1953. Nowadays, 460 can be found operating at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Following up on our two recent posts that featured nearly 100 color photos of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin, we end July with 25 classic black-and-white views of that fabled interurban railroad.

We have also included a few related pictures, a couple from the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric, and a Metropolitan West Side “L” car on the CA&E Batavia branch.

A portion of the AE&FRE right-of-way is now occupied by the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin. Former AE&FRE car 304, sister to the 301 shown here, has found its way back to its original rails, and you can ride it at the museum. Meanwhile, the Illinois Railway Museum in Union has the largest collection of CA&E cars anywhere.

Historical color pictures are naturally more popular than black-and-white, but are naturally limited to the era when Kodachrome and other slide films were available. Personally, I find there is much to appreciate in these black-and-white photos, which often date to an older era that predates the availability of color. The original negatives were usually larger than 35mm, which means the picture has the potential of being a lot sharper than a slide.

We hope that you will enjoy this trip down memory lane. If these images inspire you to add your own insights or comments, do not hesitate to write to us, either using the “comments” function here, or to:

thetrolleydodger@gmail.com

Thanks.

-David Sadowski

PS- We thank Don Ross and Don’s Rail Photos for providing much of the information on the history of individual cars via his very comprehensive web site.

#2 – A three-car CA&E train heads west over Union Station, having just left Wells Street Terminal. (B. H. Nichols Photo)

#3 – CA&E freight motor 15 at Wheaton on February 1, 1954. (Arthur B. Johnson Photo)

#4 – Aurora, Elgin & Fox River #49 at Coleman on September 1, 1940, with the Illinois Central overhead. This was one of the earlier CERA fantrips. By then, the line was freight-only, although still operating under wire. (Roy Bruce Photo)

#5 – Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric 301 in 1929. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “301 was built by St Louis Car in 1924, (order) #1308. In 1936 it was sold to CI/SHRT as 301 and to Speedrail in May 1950. It was scrapped in 1952.”

#6 – CA&E snow plow 3 at Wheaton Shops. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “3 was built in the company shops in 1909 as a plow.”

#7 – CA&E 10. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “10 was built by Niles Car in 1902. It was rebuilt with a baggage compartment in 1910. It was later removed, but then reinstalled in April 1933 for funeral service. It was wrecked September 10, 1948, and scrapped.” (James B. M. Johnson Photo)

#8 – Metropolitan West Side Elevated car 800 and train at Glenwood Park on the CA&E Batavia branch on a charter. This car was built by Barney & Smith in 1901 and was renumbered to 2800 in 1913. This photo must predate that renumbering.

#9 -CA&E line car 11. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “11 was built by Brill in 1910, (order) #16483. It was rebuilt to a line car in 1947 and replaced 45. It was acquired by Railway Equipment Leasing & Invenstment Co in 1962 and came to Fox River Trolley Museum in 1984. It was lettered as Fox River & Eastern.

#10 – CA&E 603 at Wheaton on April 2, 1957. Don’s Rail Photos says, “In 1937, the CA&E needed additional equipment. Much was available, but most of the cars suffered from extended lack of maintenance. Finally, 5 coaches were found on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis which were just the ticket. 35 thru 39, built by Washington Baltimore & Annapolis in 1913, were purchased and remodeled for service as 600 thru 604. The ends were narrowed for service on the El. They had been motors, but came out as control trailers. Other modifications included drawbars, control, etc. A new paint scheme was devised. Blue and grey with red trim and tan roof was adopted from several selections. They entered service between July and October in 1937. “

#11 – Although this is a double exposure, it does show an unnumbered wooden interurban, ex-Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee in Wheaton in 1946. It was part of the 129-144 series, the last passenger cars purchased by CA&E. Don’s Rail Photos says, “In 1936, the CA&E leased 11 surplus cars from the CNS&M. These cars were modified for service by raising the coupler height, installing electric heat instead of the coal-fired hot water heaters, modifying the control, and adding jumper receptacles and other minor fittings to allow them to train with the other CA&E cars. Since these were 50 mile per hour cars, and the CA&E cars wer 60 MPH cars, they were soon operated only in trains of their own kind rather than mixed in with other cars. In 1945 they were returned to the North Shore where they operated briefly. They were purchased in 1946 and last ran in regular service in September, 1953.”

#12 – CA&E 402 at Laramie in March 1946, with CRT 2893 at left. 402 was built by Pullman in 1923 as one of the first steel cars on the CA&E.

#13 – The Chicago & North Western station at Wheaton. CA&E paralleled C&NW in this area and its tracks are off to the left.

#14 – CA&E wood cars 310 and 309 at Batavia station on a May 19, 1957 fantrip. According to Don’s Rail Photos, 309 and 310 were built by Hicks Car Works in 1907 and modernized in October 1941. Car 309 was acquired by the Illinois Railway Museum in 1962.

#15 – Car 134 under a 90 foot stretch of trolley wire at State Road on the Batavia branch on August 31, 1941. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “134 was built by Jewett Car Co in 1907 as Chicago & Milwaukee Electric 134. It was rebuilt in 1914 retired in 1948.” When this picture was taken, this car was being leased by CA&E from the North Shore Line.

#16 – CA&E 453 at Des Plaines Avenue terminal in August 1955. Cars 451-460 were ordered in 1941 but delayed by war. They were built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1945-46 and are considered the last “standard” interurban cars built in the US, although this is a somewhat debatable point.

#17 – CA&E 312 (described as “part steel”) just west of Wheaton in August 1952 on the way to Aurora. This appears to be the same location (Childs Street) as Photo #88 in Part 2 of our recent CA&E Mystery Photos Contest.
Randy Hicks: “the lead car is the 309; the train is eastbound.”

#18 – CA&E 318 in Warrenville on a July 4, 1956 fantrip. Don’s Rail Photos says, “318 was built by Jewett Car Co in 1914. It had steel sheating and was modernized in 1944. It was sold to Wisconsin Electric Raiway Historical Society in 1962. It was wrecked in transit and the parts were sold to IRM to restore 321.”
Randy Hicks: “the second car on this fantrip was the 300. This car was not preserved, but its seats were acquired by North Freedom and are now at IRM.”

#19 – CA&E 422 at Wheaton in February 1952.

#20 – CA&E 406 at State Road on the Batavia branch in 1954.

#21 – CA&E 404 and 453 at Forest Park sometime between 1953 and 1957.

#22 – CA&E 460 at Lakewood in 1954.

#23 – CA&E 10. This car was wrecked on September 10, 1948 so this photo must predate that.
Randy Hicks: “the 10 is at the end of the train; the next car is the 320. I doubt this was a fantrip, as I’ve never seen five (or more) cars used for this purpose.”

#24 -CA&E 417 at Batavia Junction.

#25 – CA&E 406 in Aurora. (R. J. Anderson Photo)

CA&E Mystery Photos Answers – Part 2

July 25, 2015July 26, 2015David Sadowski 5 Comments

#49 – JN: Westbound near Hannah Ave. east of the B&OCT crossing.
EM: CAE 20 (Niles, 1902) which is the oldest CAE car still in existence (preserved at the FRTM), leads a consist on the west side of Laramie Av. The following car is CAE 304 (Niles, 1906).
(Here we have a real difference of opinion. However, it’s difficult to determine who is correct, since both areas were obliterated by expressway construction. Laramie seems more likely due to the presence of large apartment buildings.)

Today we have the answers to Part 2 of our recent Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban Mystery Photos Contest.

We are grateful for all your excellent submissions. I always find it remarkable just how much detail our eagle-eyed readers can find in some of these vintage images. Thanks to everyone who took the time to send in an entry or post a comment.

While there were only two complete entries, by John Nicholson and Edward Maurath, they were both excellent and comprehensive. And while there are a few photos where they have a real difference of opinion, what’s surprising to me is how much they were able to agree upon, given the obvious difficulty of identifying some of these locations 60 years on.

Based on the criteria of best overall submission, John Nicholson is the winner of Part 2. Congratulations!

He will receive a copy of our Railroad Record Club #35 and 36 compact disc, which includes vintage audio from both the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin and the CTA Garfield Park “L”. You will find this and much more in our Online Store.

Mr. Maurath was the winner of Part 1, and you can find those answers here.

Both of their submissions are in the captions, with a few minor edits. To simplify matters a bit, we will refer to them by their initials (JN and EM). We have also added a few additional comments.

Thanks.

-The Editor

PS- Since there are several photos here showing the Batavia branch, it’s worth pointing out that this was once considered as a location for the Illinois Electric Railway Museum, as it was then called. You can read about that on the excellent Hicks Car Works blog.

Don Ross, who runs the Don’s Rail Photos website, was very much involved in IERM’s search for a new home.

Here is an article about the museum’s early days from the December 27, 1957 Chicago Tribune:

Railway Fans Ride Hobby in Old Electric Trains

Just as model electric trains occupy the time of many families at Christmas time, old electric trains take up many hours of the members of the Illinois Electric Railway museum.

The museum’s latest endeavor is one dear to the hearts of many Chicago commuters– it is to save for posterity one of Chicago’s open platform elevated cars.

Want $750 for Them

The last of the open platform cars was decommissioned recently by the Chicago transit authority. The CTA is asking $750 each for them. The museum has raised more than $460 toward buying one.

The museum was founded in 1953. It is temporarily located in the south yard of the Chicago Hardware Foundry company in North Chicago. About a dozen pieces of equipment have been collected so far.

Every Saturday museum members are on the job rehabilitating the equipment in which they have approximately $10,000 invested. Next year, the museum hopes to obtain a railway line on which to operate its cars. Among the equipment is a 60 ton air conditioned interurban car of 1913 vintage which used to run between St. Louis, Mo., and Peoria. There is a small, four wheel street car built in 1921 and a pump type hand car with both a flat and a hopper trailer.

Other Things Collected

Other pieces include a 35 ton center door interurban car built about 1917 which ran between St. Louis and Alton, an aluminum interurban car built in 1931, and two cars from the old Milwaukee Electric line.

The museum also has an old Chicago red street car it keeps in the CTA car barn at 79th st. and Vincennes av. Rail fans use it occasionally for excursions.

Approximately 50 regular members take part in museum activities, said R. Don Ross of West Allis, Wis., its publicity director. Some are railroad men, some craftsmen, and some are interested in the history of rail equipment.

#50 – JN: Westbound between Racine Ave. and Aberdeen St. Pilings for future ramp to ground level operations appear in background.
EM: CAE 205 (Niles, 1904) is westbound between Racine and Halsted on tracks that will soon be torn down for construction of the Congress Expressway. I believe the wooden posts show the beginning of construction of the ramp at the east end of the infamous “stop light express” where the Garfield PK trains (and no others) will run in a fenced off portion of Van Buren street for the next five years or so, causing what was a dream of a ride to become a nightmare. This is the same location as #41 in part one, only slightly earlier.

#51 – JN: Wells St. terminal.
EM: CAE 456 (St. Louis, 1945).

#52 – JN: Bridge over the PRR/C&NW on Garfield “L”.
EM: CAE 452 (St. Louis, 1945).
(This is the same location as photo #3 in Part 1 of this series, from a different angle.)

#53 – JN: Throat of Wells St. terminal—portion over Franklin St.
EM: CAE 423 (Cincinnati, 1927) is crossing Franklin St on its way to Wells St. station. Looking north.

#54 – JN: Sacramento curve on the Garfield “L”
EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) leads an outbound train followed by 423, 422, and 418, all 1927 Cincinnati cars. Looking NE. At left can be seen construction of the east end ramp for the infamous “stop light express” to get CTA Garfield Pk traffic out of the way of the construction of the Congress Expressway (now know as the Eisenhower Expressway). Soon the CAE will terminate at Des Plaines Av, Forest Pk, confining it to ground level traffic only.

#55 – JN: CA&E trains passing at Western Ave. on Garfield “L”
EM: CAE 408 (Pullman, 1923) approaches Western Av station. Looking East.

#56 – JN: Westbound train at Kilbourn Ave. curve.
EM: CAE 457 (St. Louis, 1945) leads a three-car consist somewhere between Laramie and Marshfield.

#57 – JN: Batavia terminal
EM: CAE 431 (Cincinnati, 1927) sits at the Batavia Terminal.

#58 – JN: Westbound train leaving Batavia Jct.
EM: At Batavia Jct, formerly know as Eola Jct, a red and grey car heads for Aurora while the blue car at the station is ready to depart for Batavia. Looking SE.

#59 – JN: Crossing under CB&Q on Batavia branch.
EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) on the Batavia branch somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

#60 – JN: Eastbound under short stretch of trolley wire on Batavia branch.
EM: A single car travels along the Fox River in the snow.

#61 – JN: Glenwood Park on Batavia branch (by old powerhouse).
EM: CAE 406, probably on a fan trip, stops at Glenwood Park. Notice the nice new red paint job, meaning this picture is later than the picture in part 1 of 406 still painted blue.

#62 – JN: Batavia bound car having departed from Batavia Jct. (in distance).
EM: CAE 141, a car obtained second hand from the North Shore Line travels through the middle of nowhere, I would guess on the Batavia branch.
Bob Campbell says, “141 is on the Aurora branch; not Batavia branch. West of Batavia Jct. was tangent on the Aurora branch. Batavia line just west of BJ was on a curve (see photo #66).”
Bill Shapotkin writes, “While not disputing that this photo is taken on the Batavia Branch, the remark: “car having departed from Batavia Jct. (in distance)” I believe is incorrect. The reason I say that is that upon departing Batavia Jct (enroute to Batavia), the line IMMEDIATELY goes through a long sweeping curve to the N/W (as can be see in Photo 58). While I do not know exactly where this photo was taken, be assured that the distant station in photo is NOT Batavia Jct.
By the way, this is NOT “pull-in” trip of the Batavia car (enroute to Wheaton after the PM rush). If it were, the platform of Batavia Jct would be to the right (not to the left).
I believe the photo is at either one of two locations:
1. A point JUST north of Bilter Rd (as the State Rd station would be on west side of R-O-W),
or
2. A point JUST N/W of the sweeping curve out of Batavia Jct — approx where East-West Tollway intersects the line today (thus station in distance is Bilter Rd (which, like State Rd was located on west side of R-O-W).
In either case, believe this is a morning photo (of an E/B car) and that we are facing geographically N/W.”

#63 – JN: Batavia terminal
EM: This is a companion picture to picture 57. Same CAE 431 (Cincinnati 1927, now preserved at the IRM) and same automobile. The bridge over the Fox River is clearly visible.

#64 – JN: Glenwood Park stop on Batavia branch
EM: CAE 406 (Pullman, 1923), again painted red and grey, at Glenwood Park flag stop on its way to Batavia.

#65 – JN: Crossing under CB&Q on Batavia branch
EM: CAE 428 (Cincinnati, 1927) on the Batavia branch. Notice how the grass is grown up in the track bed. This must be near the end when Batavia service was minimal and sometimes served by bus.

#66 – JN: Westbound car is just departing Batavia Jct.
EM: CAE 141, an ex-North Shore Line car most likely in Kane county on the Batavia branch.

#67 – JN: 427 eastbound at Gary Siding on Aurora branch
EM: CAE 427 (Cincinnati, 1927) pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Probably on the Batavia branch.
(Here we have a difference of opinion.)
Bob Campbell writes, “Photographer on the north side of Butterfield Road overpass. Not all of 427 was scrapped – I have one of the end numbers (on the right, retriever side) in my “Oklahoma Basement” (out building).”

#68 – JN: 2001-2002 working CB&Q interchange at Aurora
EM: CAE 2001 and CAE 2002 (General Electric, 1920 and 1922) in the north yard at Wheaton.
(Again, here we have a difference of opinion.)
Bob Campbell writes, “Definitely the CB&Q interchange at Aurora; Aurora Avenue/Route 25 in foreground.”
Chuck Amstein adds, “I think JN is correct here. This is looking WNW from the side of Route 25, just south of the CB&Q-CA&E (double-tracked, trolley wires visible in background) crossing. The positions of the electrical tower (still there), smokestack, and water tower, plus several visible buildings in the background, match those on current or historical aerial images. Probably photographed along with #70.”

#69 – JN: Car under very short stretch of wire at State Rd. This was to help a car over the gap after it stopped at station westbound.
EM: CAE 406 (Pullman, 1923) painted red and grey, at the State Road flag stop.

#70 – JN: Eastbound crossing Aurora Ave. near CB&Q interchange at Aurora
EM: CAE 2001 and 2002 (General Electric, 1920 and 1922) pulling freight.

#71 – JN: Eastbound Aurora branch car at Batavia Jct. Note one of the clearance boards on platform has been flipped over.
EM: CAE 453 (St. Louis, 1945) at Batavia Jct, formerly known as Eola Jct. That was tough!

#72 – JN: Westbound at bridge over Winfield Creek on Elgin branch (near Lincoln Ave.)
EM: CAE 454 (St. Louis, 1945) in the middle of nowhere.

#73 – JN: Eastbound train at Warrenville. Station later served as Warrenville city hall.
EM: CAE 458 (St. Louis, 1945) at Warrenville.

#74 – JN: Aurora terminal
EM: CAE 414 (Pullman, 1923) and two Cincinnati cars along the Fox River at the Aurora station. Observe the raised trolley poles.

#75 – JN: On Cook County branch along Mannheim Rd.
EM: CAE 310 (Hicks, 1907) on the west side of Mannheim Road by a stone quarry. Most likely the same fan trip as several pictures in part one of this contest. Passenger cars did not normally use this track after 1926. Notice the raised trolley pole. the Cook county branch, a.k.a. the Mount Carmel branch had no third rails.

#76 – JN: Westbound at State Rd on Batavia branch under short section of wire to clear the gap in third rail while crossing the road.
EM: CAE 406 (Pullman, 1923) again painted red at the State Road flag stop.

#77 – JN: Westbound train crossing B&OCT east of Desplaines Ave. station.
EM: CAE 428 (Cincinnati, 1927) crosses the B&OCTRR just east of Des Plaines Av. The branch going west along side the CAE tracks in the distance were for the Chicago and Great Western. Notice the old style crossing gate at left in the foreground. View is looking mostly west and slightly NW.

#78 – JN: Westbound car has just departed from Desplaines Ave. terminal. This section of track was moved north and rebuilt due to expressway construction. CA&E trains never operated on rebuilt track.
EM: CAE 419 (Pullman, 1923) heads west towards 1st Av. Maywood having come from Des Plaines station. Looking NW.

#79 – JN: Eastbound train has left Desplaines Ave. station and crossing B&OCT
EM: CAE 428 (Pullman, 1923) at the same B&OCTRR crossing as in picture #77, but this time it is headed east. View is looking west.

#80 – JN: Westbound nearing 1st Ave, in Maywood. Note Montana Charlie’s gas station in background.
EM: CAE 454 (St. Louis, 1945) has just crossed 1st Av, Maywood heading east. View is looking NW.
Dan Hagstrom adds, “#80 is on the main line approaching First Avenue from the east, from behind Commonwealth Edison. Again, the Refiner’s Pride gas station is visible. I was 10 1/2 years old when the Aurora stopped passenger services, so I have some pretty good memories of where the Aurora passed through Maywood. I lived about 4 blocks south on 4th Avenue.”

#81 – JN: Westbound Wheaton local at Pulaski Rd. on Garfield “L”
EM: CAE 428 (Cincinnati, 1927) is at the Pulaski Road station on its way to Chicago. View is looking NE.

#82 – JN: Westbound near Racine Ave. (same location as photo #50). Note ramp to surface trackage now in place.
EM: CAE 52 (Stephenson, 1903) is leading a three-car consist westward at the same location between Racine and Halsted as in picture #50. The track in the foreground is about to be torn down because of Congress Expressway construction. Notice the other trains in the picture. Soon only the Garfield Pk trains will be using the tracks in the distance.

#83 – JN: Westbound train at Austin Ave. near B&OCT interchange.
EM: CAE train of two St. Louis cars with CAE 451 (still in existence at IRM) at the rear approaching Hannah station. View is looking NW. Hannah station was somewhat unusual for the CAE in that both platforms were on the same side of the cross street.
(Editor’s note: I believe this is Austin and not Hannah. Hannah was a “B” station near the end, while this station, and Austin, were “A.” And while the cityscape has changed a lot due to expressway construction, there would be single family homes near Hannah and not the large apartment buildings we see here. The Austin station did have both platforms on the same side of the street.)

#84 – JN: Aurora terminal
EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) is at the end of a four-car consist sitting at the Elgin Terminal by the Fox River. View is looking SW.
V. Hallas writes, “Picture # 84 is definitely Aurora. I Googled American Well Works, they started there in 1869. I also say this as the train is facing north on the east side of the river. if this was Elgin, it would be facing south.”
Bob Campbell adds, “Definitely Aurora terminal.”

#85 – JN: Wells St. terminal facing east
EM: In the caverns between the tall buildings of downtown Chicago looking east at the Wells Street Terminal. At the time this picture was taken, and for quite a few years earlier, this terminal was used only by the CAE. CTA trains turned south after crossing the river to Van Buren street to enter the loop at this time.

#86 – JN: View west of 11th Ave. in Maywood
EM: Station at 11th Av. in Maywood. The red railings show that this is a late picture, since they were painted green when the CTA trains of the Westchester branch stopped here for the last time December 8, 1951. Notice the newer automobiles crossing 11th Av.
Dan Cluley adds, “the cream colored convertible is a 1957 Olds. So given the bare trees this must have been taken in the Winter or early Spring of ’57.”

#87 – JN: Freight at Wheaton yard by new dispatcher’s tower
EM: East end of the Wheaton yard. Notice the “new” dispatch tower.

#88 – JN: Westbound train on Aurora branch at Childs St., Wheaton
EM: Now this is truly a “mystery” photo! The street crossing looks like something out of the 1920’s, but the Pullman car is painted in the last livery! Someone else will have to explain this one!
Bob Campbell writes, “Agree Childs Street, Wheaton looking east.”

#89 – JN: Eastbound train at Bellwood.
EM: CAE 433 (Cincinnati, 1927) is headed for Chicago having passed under the Indiana Harbor Belt RR. View is looking NW.
Bill Shapotkin adds, “While the captions “Eastbound train at Bellwood” and that: ” CAE 433 (Cincinnati, 1927) is headed for Chicago having passed under the Indiana Harbor Belt RR. View is looking NW.” are both correct — the location should be specified as being at 25th Ave (which IS in Bellwood), which is the first grade xing east of the IHB/B&OCT overcrossing.”

#90 – JN: Eastbound train departing Glenwood Park and heading towards CB&Q underpass.
EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) travels along the Fox River near Batavia, headed for Chicago. Notice that it is running with third rail power.

#91 – JN: Eastbound train departing Batavia terminal at Wilson St.
EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) still is running under wire along the Fox River. It has just left the Batavia station, headed for Chicago. View is looking NW.

#92 – JN: Eastbound car crossing under CB&Q on Batavia branch. Old powerhouse can be seen on right through trees.
EM: CAE 460 (St Louis, 1945) is on track curving away from the Fox River on the Batavia branch.

#93 – JN: Westbound on Batavia branch under short section of overhead wire.
EM: CAE 457 (St. Louis, 1945) is traveling under wire along the Fox River.

#94 – JN: Train on outbound platform at Desplaines Ave. Note “baldy” heading to Chicago in background.
EM: CAE 401 (Pullman, 1923) leads a two car consist at the new (1953–1957) station on the west side of Des Plaines Av. At this time the CAE trains turned around without crossing Des Plaines Av. The CTA trains discharged all passengers at this station. Those who want to go further west boarded a CAE train here and paid another fare. The green and cream train in the background has just come from their station (color-coded green) on the other side of the loop where the CAE trains discharged all their passengers. Those wishing to continue east had to pay another fare to the CTA. the loops did not cross at grade, there was a wooden structure to carry the CTA trains above the tracks of the CAE. All the tracks east of Des Plaines Av, formerly owned by the CAE as far as Laramie Av, were sold to the CTA.

CA&E Mystery Photos Answers – Part 1

July 24, 2015November 23, 2015David Sadowski 14 Comments

#1 – WS: Met ‘L’. View looks east from Halsted Station. FH: note the pre-rebuild Cincinnati. EM: South end of Halsted curves. CAE train is outbound, Looking NE, late morning.

Here are the long-awaited answers to Part 1 of our recent Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban Mystery Photos Contest.

There were several great entires, and in particular, I would like to single out Andre Kristopans, Frank Hicks, and William Shapotkin, who all made significant contributions. Sorting out these answers was quite a job– I had to make a spreadsheet to keep it all straightened out.

Based on the criteria of best overall submission, Edward Maurath is the winner of Part 1. Congratulations on a difficult job well done!

We have combined some of the best answers about the “Roarin’ Elgin” in each photo caption. To simplify matters a bit, we will refer to the four main entrants by their initials (AK, FH, WS, and EM).

I feel confidant that the great majority of answers are correct, but inevitably some of them are going to be educated guesses and if additional information comes up that can clarify matters, we will update the captions accordingly. As Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify.” As we all know, the majority opinion is not always the right one.

Answers for Part 2 are here.

Thanks.

-The Editor

PS- We apologize for inadvertently posting the same image twice (#40 and 47).

#2 – Same location as #1. In fact, this picture was probably taken seconds later.

#3 – WS: W/B train x/o the C&NW/PRR at Rockwell St. Photo taken just before ‘L’ was closed (notice the surrounding buildings are gone). View looks N/E. EM: CAE 458, 458 and 454 (St. Louis, 1945)

#4 – WS: W/B train (PM rush?) at Glen Oak station. View looks east off Hill Ave bridge. What is even more interesting is that in distance (at right) is the Shapotkin house (where I grew up.)
FH: a great shot of a six-car train of “shorties” westbound at Glen Oak. The lead car is either the 36 or the 46 (the number is badly worn but I think it’s the 46) as those were the only two motor cars with the smaller “flap” style ventilators. The train includes five motors and a trailer and the trailer, right behind the lead car, also has that style ventilators while the rest of the cars – like the rest of the wood fleet – have normal boxy Utility ventilators. The train is an interesting mix; the last car is in red, the rest in blue, and the second-to-last car hasn’t had its roof tarred yet while the rest have.
Gary Kleinedler adds, “Photos 4 and 18 are at the east side of Glen Ellyn, taken from the Hill Avenue bridge looking east toward Lombard. Both trains are westbound at Glen Oak Country Club stop (the golf course is to the right and behind the shelter). The CA&E bridge over the East Branch of the DuPage River and the concrete bridge over two-lane Illinois Route 53 (Columbine Avenue) are in the distance. The trailing switch just behind the communication(?) box to the left rear of the train leads to a short Public Service of Northern Illinois stub siding. I lived less than a mile from this location (my grandparents lived even closer). Although the CA&E station was on the south end of Lombard (we lived on the north side), I still occasionally used the interurban to travel home from Glenbard High School in Glen Ellyn (1951-1955) when I missed the last school bus.”

#5 – EM: CAE 459 (St. Louis, 1945) at Racine Station. CRT cars, including 2880, also visible.
BS: E/B train of St Louis cars passing the Met shop at Racine Ave. View looks west.
AK: Throop shop – note that while shop had quite a bit of inside capacity, there was almost no outside storage.

#6 – EM: CAE 460 (St. Louis, 1945) at north Sacrimento curve with three Cincinnati cars including 422 and 428, outbound. Looking NE.
AK: coming into Sacramento WB. Stationhouse burned out a few weeks before Van Buren surface diversion started and was closed early.
FH: Sacramento curve, note that the second car is a rebuilt Cincinnati and the third is an un-rebuilt one.

#7 – FH: (and #29, #42) – Neat series of shots, taken at Lockwood Yard. The lead car, Stephenson 48, is one of a small number of “shorties” that kept its arched trim until the end. Note that it also has the blocked-off clerestory, a Wheaton modification that was made to a number of cars during the 1920s. For whatever reason this particular modification fell out of favor (like the arched trim). Behind it is Kuhlman 314 in fresh red paint, Niles 303 (today preserved in Connecticut), and two more Kuhlmans. Bringing up the rear is another Niles, either 201, 300 or 307 judging from the blocked-off clerestory. These photos also make an interesting study in storm windows. The “shorties” and the 300-series Niles cars were built withe removable storm windows, and the 48, 303 and rear car all have theirs fitted. The Kuhlmans (and Hicks cars) were built with permanent storm windows fitted inboard of the regular sash, and the 314 has its lowered. The fourth car in the strong appears to have its storm windows raised for some reason (you can see a light grey band under the drip rail) while the Kuhlman painted red has had its permanent storm sash removed in favor of removable sash (several of the Jewetts, which were built with permanent storm sash fitted outboard of the regular sash, and Kuhlmans had this modification made in the early 1950s).
EM: Notice old wooden CTA cars at far right.

#8 – WS: At left is the Commonwealth Ave yard east of first Ave, Maywood. Train at left is E/B, train at right is W/B. View looks west.
EM: CAE 428 (Cincinnati, 1927) and 452 (St. Louis, 1945) with another St. Louis car behind it in winter.
AK: Between river and First Av – Northern Illinois Public Service property on left, now site of Maybrook Court.

#9 – EM: CAE 410 (Pullman, 1923) leading another Pullman at westbound platform of 5th Av, Maywood, looking east in early afternoon. I lived less than 2 block south of this station from 1947–1954, and saw severe deterioration of service during that time. I would guess this photo to be somewhat older that the others based on the fact that the railings are painted green (just barely) rather than red, and the old crossing gates that were replaced in the late 40’s.
Dan Hagstrom writes, “#9 is looking east at the 5th Avenue Station in Maywood, my home town. The picture was taken after 1952 because I can see the newer crossing gates at 4th Avenue in the distance.”

#10 – WS: Storage Yard at Wheaton Shops (shop building is at left). Photographer is looking W-S/W off Elgin Branch (which is visible at right).

#11 – WS: Four of the ex-CNS&M woodies — sitting forlornly in the “Orchard,” storage track at west end of Wheaton Yard. View looks west.
FH: Interesting shot, I would assume from the winter of 1953-1954. If memory serves the ex-North Shore cars were retired following the cut back to Forest Park, and judging by the ties across the tracks this photo was taken post-retirement (despite the cars being mostly complete right down to flags in the flag brackets!). What I’m wondering is, what in the world is that thing in the coupler?
Charles Sontag adds, “Photo 11 of the North Shore wood repainted in CA&E colors is very useful for me. I have a 0-scale Labelle Interurban kit that I will be building to represent one and it’s nice to know how they are painted.”

#12 – FH: Nice shot at Wheaton, I’m guessing taken during the 310 fantrip. The 315 must have been one of the last 300-series wood cars in blue. Note the rebuilt Pullman in the shop at right.

#13 – WS: Wow! Rare shot of four of the freight locos (the 2000s and 3000s), all in the same paint job. Believe this is on the freight lead (located south of freight yard and west of the two main tracks of Aurora Branch) in front of Wheaton Shop. View looking S/E.
EM: North yard of the Wheaton Shops, with 3004, 3003, 2001, and 2002 lined up.
AK: Two closest are the ex Oklahoma Ry motors.
EM: The two closest locomotives were built by Baldwin-Westinghouse. The two more distant ones were built by GE. The ex-Oklahoma Ry locomotives were numbered 4005 and 4006 and are not in the picture.
Bob Campbell: “Regarding photo #13, in CERA Bulletin #105, page IV-9, the Wheaton map indicates that the four freight motors are sitting on the “passing siding” (not the yard lead in the background, at a lower grade level) which is oriented in a NE – SW direction, so the photographer is facing S-S-W, not S-E. In photo #16, the same equipment in the same location as photo #13, the photographer has changed positions and is now facing East, instead of N-E.”

#14 – EM: Two wooden cars that had been parlor cars 600 and 601, rebuilt as coaches with metal added and reconfigured to mate with steel rather that wooden cars, in the north yard of the Wheaton shops at a time when they were seeing little use.
WS: These are the two one-time parlor cars — which were built as woods and converted to operate with the steels. Photo taken at Wheaton Yard. Believe view looks N/W.
FH: Nice views of the 435-436 prior to scrapping. In the lower photo, I wonder what was cut up ahead of them; I can see a traction motor armature in the pile of metal to the left.

#15 – WS: Same two cars as above. View looks N/E at/near west end of yard trackage at Wheaton.

#16 -WS: Same as photo #13 — but looking N/E. Great pic!!

#17 – EM: East yard of Wheaton Shops again, with the tracks to Aurora visible at the extreme left.

#18 – WS: Fantrip (Maury Kleibolt trip) photo at Glen Oak. View looks E-S/E off Hill Ave.
EM: CAE 310 (Hicks, 1907) stopped at Glen Oak. This must be a fan trip, as there would not normally be that many patrons waiting there!

#19 – EM: East end of the old Des Plaines station which was replaced by a fancy interchange on the other (west) side of Desplaines in September of 1953. The shadows, including that of the photographer, indicate this picture was taken in late afternoon, with a four-car steel train with CAE 430 (Cincinnati, 1927) on the end about to cross the tracks of another railroad (B&OCTRR) on its way to downtown Chicago. After the crossing, the two different railroads run parallel almost to Laramie Av.
AK: Looking east at Desplaines Av station, B&OCT grade crossing in background, source of many, many delays.
(Truman Hefner Photo)

#20 – EM: CAE 458 (St. Louis, 1945) approaching Laramie Av station from the incline leading up to Cicero station, and just visible in the distance, Kilbourn. The view, looking east, includes a vast fleet of wooden CTA cars, with a wooden CTA train about to ascend the incline. The tracks east from here were owned by the CTA. The tracks west of here were owned by the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin. The tracks west of here to Desplaines Av. were later sold by the CAE to the CTA once CAE trains stopped going east of Desplaines in September of 1953. Notice the monitor style roofs which were distinctive to the Metropolitan line CTA cars.
WS: View looks east off footbridge.

#21 – WS: Lockwood Ave yard. Believe view looks N/W across the mainline.
FH: Interesting view of the storage tracks west of Lockwood with a couple of trains of “shorties” in what I presume is midday storage. Judging from the number of “shorties” in red I’m guessing this is pretty close to the end of service over the “L.”

#22 – EM: Gunderson Av. station with westbound CAE train approaching the station looking NW. CAE 428 (Cincinnati, 1927) is at the rear of the two-car train.
AK: Gunderson Av passing track, this is towards the end as the middle track is rusted black.

#23 – AK: EB train crossing Desplaines Av, note L staging track to left of main where L trains waited for leaving time.
EM: CAE 459 (St. Louis, 1945) leads this three-car train heading for Chicago. View is looking Northwest.

#24 – WS: Locos #3003-3004 lead an E/B frt out of Wheaton. In backgound is the “new” Dispatcher’s Office. View looks west. (Another great pic — never seen this one before.)

#25 – EM: CAE 459 (St. Louis, 1945), followed by CAE 452 and other(s), somewhere between Laramie Av and Hannah, looking NW.
AK: EB somewhere between Harlem and Austin, B&OCT in foreground.

#26 – FH: What a classic shot! I’m guessing this is the “cannonball set” (so nicknamed by the fans, not the railroad) that was often trained together in later years. This consisted of the three up-rated Jewetts, 319-321, with trailers 105 and 205 interspersed. In this view it appears to be 319-105-320-205-321 (the 321 had lost its oval window by this time so the middle Jewett is most likely the 320). Only the 105 and 320 are in red. The 319 was painted in this version of the “Early American” livery in May 1950. Taken at Racine.
AK: WB train at Racine. This station had 4 platforms, two on each side of Throop shop leads

#27 – WS: An E/B train of steel cars pass the old Met powerhouse. Surrounding buildings have all been demolished in advance of expressway construction. View looks N/W.
AK: Throop shop in its last days. Note how bricks are “leaching”.

#28 – EM: One of the ex-North Shore Line wooden cars leads a westbound train over Union Station headed for Canal Street station. The train came from the Wells Street station through the tall buildings. The tracks curving off to the right lead to the CTA station at Franklin and Van Buren. All these tracks saw heavy traffic until September of 1953.

#29 – EM: CAE 314 (Kuhlman, 1909) almost certainly at the north Wheaton yard, but there is nothing in the picture to confirm that.

#30 – EM: CAE 310 (Hicks, 1907) would appear to be on a fan trip about to go through the underpass between the Mannheim Road section and the Roosevelt Road section of the Mt. Carmel branch (aka the Cook County branch) which was used for freight operations only after 1926. Notice the trolley pole is up. This branch was unique in that it had no third rails anywhere from Mt. Carmel cemetery to where it joined the main line. view is looking NE.
AK: Cook County Branch south of IC underpass north of Roosevelt with a charter.
WS: Fantrip on Mt Carmel Branch. IC Iowa Division is overhead.
Bill Shapotkin writes, “The date of the photos (and there were several) of car #310 on a fantrip on the Mt Carmel Branch was (per caption on Pg 75 of SUNSET LINES (Vol1)) August 8, 1954.”

#31 – EM: CAE 418 (Pullman, 1923) is ready to lead CAE 406 out of the Elgin Terminal along the Fox River. Notice 406 has recently been painted in the final CAE livery. That means this picture is newer than other pictures in this series that show 406 still painted blue like the 418 here.
WS: Aurora terminal (the one opened 1939 along Fox River). View looks E-N/E.

#32 – WS: Nice going-away shot of a freight (locos #2001-2002). Location unknown.
Jerry P. Hund says, “I belelieve #32 was taken in Bellwood, just east of Bellwood Ave. We can also see some freight cars on the IHB track that came down the trestle from the mainline. All tracks would run parallel to the CGW mainline. This view is looking northeast.”

#33 – Here we have a real difference of opinion:
WS: Locos #3003-3004 switching in Aurora (just east of CB&Q xing). View looks N/E.
AK: Freight train on Cook County Branch around Harrison St.
Bill Shapotkin writes, “This picture appears on Page 157 of SUNSET LINES (Vol 1), by Larry Plachno. The caption reads (in part): “Here, locomotives 4006-4005 are switching the CB&Q interchange on the north side of Aurora,” which, per the map on Pg 92 of said book, puts the location as being at Aurora Ave.”

#34 – EM: CAE 310 (Hicks, 1907) southbound at the stone quary on the west side of Mannheim Road, probably the same fan trip as in picture #30. View is looking NW.
AK: On Cook County Branch around Jackson or so, next to Mannheim Rd.

#35 – EM: Same as #34 but from a slightly different angle.

#36 – EM: CAE 310 (Hicks, 1907) southwest bound having just passed through the underpass in picture #30 This picture would appear to have taken earlier the same day. The underpass is still there today, but it has been filled in some over the years.
AK: Cook County Branch south of IC underpass north of Roosevelt with a charter.

#37 – FH: The 318 and two other Jewetts, likely the 316 and 317, westbound at Kedzie with a Pullman rounding Sacramento curve in the background.
AK: Kedzie station, CAE stop because of Sears headquarters at Arthington and Kedzie. CTA ran extra buses for Sears until Sears moved downtown.

#38 – FH: Great photo of the 302 leading what appears to be a solid rake of 200/300-series Niles cars (there may be a Hicks in there somewhere, tough to tell from the sides) into the sun. The motorman has his shade pulled down pretty far!
EM: CAE 302 (Niles, 1906) leads a four-car train through the wilderness destined to become the Congress Expressway. Van Buren Street, future site of the infamous “stop light express,” can be seen.
AK: approaching CNW/PRR at Rockwell WB. Photo from PRR tracks note brick structure bases, then last few are steel. Structure was raised when PRR/CNW was elevated.
Richard Neva adds, “Number 38 appears to show Our Lady of Sorrows Church with 2 spires in the background which I was very familiar with during my early growing years.”

#39 – WS: W/B train (is that the CANNONBALL) at Kedzie station (same location as #37). View looks east.
EM: CAE 414 (Pullman, 1923) leads a westbound train at Kedzie station. It would appear to be evening rush hour. Looking east.

#40 – FH: Nice shot of a five-car rush-hour train of “shorties” at Kedzie, express to Wheaton if the sign is to be believed. The 34 is still in tattered blue and retains its light grey roof, or what’s left of the paint anyway; a lot of cars had their roofs tarred in the late 1940s/early 1950s. It looks like the motorman has drawn the curtain over the “railfan window” in the bulkhead so that the commuters don’t all have the sun in their faces. And it’s tough to tell but it looks like an ex-North Shore wood car in the background on the curve.

#41 – WS: W/B train of woodies approaching Racine Ave. Note the ramp (at left) leading down to Van Buren St trackage — places the time frame as 1953 (no earlier than June or July?). View looks east.
FH: A slightly unusual consist, as the “shorties” were often segregated and run together. But here we have two “shorties” followed by what I believe is a Jewett westbound at Racine on a local.
EM: CAE 52 (Stephenson, 1902) leads a three-car westbound train between Racine and Halsted. I suspect that the track at far left is under construction for the east end of the infamous “stop light express,” to allow the destruction of the tracks in the foreground for the construction of the Congress Express, which can be seen at the right. Looking east. These tracks will soon be far less used because of the loss of the CAE, and all CTA trains except the Garfield Pk.
AK: Looking east from Racine, track in center is Throop shop lead.

#42 – EM: CAE 48 (Stephenson, 1902) with CAE 18 (Niles, 1902) in the background, and other cars sit in the yard at Wheaton. By this time, the blue wooden cars were downright ugly.

#43 – EM: CAE 454 (St. Louis, 1945), eastbound, crosses 1st Av, Maywood. Will it turn back at Des Plaines AV? It depends on when the picture was taken relative to September, 1953. Notice the newer style crossing gates in contrast to the old gates is picture #9.
WS: An E/B St Louis car (460?) in Maywood — believe it is s/o First Ave (note CGW xing in background). View looks north.
Dan Hagstrom adds, ” #43 is a picture I never thought I’d ever get to see. This is looking north at the First Avenue grade crossing. The Chicago Great Western crossing gates are visible just beyond, and on the left is the Refiner’s Pride gas station that was situated between the Aurora tracks and the Great Western tracks on the west side of First Avenue.”

#44 – EM: CAE 422 and 434 (both Cincinnati, 1927) at Wheaton station. Notice all the fresh red paint. Also notice the jumper cables hanging from the not recently painted fence.
WS: Two trains meet at Wheaton station (note C&NW station at left). View looks east.

#45 – EM: CAE 404 (Pullman 1923) eastbound at Marshfield Jct where the Douglas Pk branch can be seen at the right. Looking west.

The same approximate view as #45, but a year or two later. This picture was most likely taken during the transition period around April 4, 1954, when Douglas Park trains were rerouted over the Lake Street “L” via what we today call the Paulina Connector, part of today’s Pink Line.
According to http://www.chicago-l.org:
“But by spring 1954, the main line elevated had to be taken out of service. The Garfield Line was running on a nonstop temporary grade-level alignment as far east as Aberdeen Street, but this arrangement would have been less than satisfactory for the Douglas operation. So, on April 4, 1954, the CTA reactivated a section of the Logan Square branch between Marshfield and Lake that had been closed for revenue operations when Logan Square trains were rerouted to downtown via the new Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway (but had been kept for nonrevenue equipment moves). Marshfield Junction was removed in favor of a straight connection from the Douglas to the Paulina Connector (as this nonrevenue leg was often called) and a new connection, Paulina Junction, was built from the Connector to the Lake Street elevated adjacent to the flyer-over and abandoned Lake Street Transfer station where the two crossed. Douglas trains would now access the Loop via this connection over the Paulina Connector and Lake Street Route.”

#46 – EM: CAE 456 (St. Louis, 1945) at the end of an evening rush-hour train bound for downtown Chicago on the Halsted curves, a popular place for photographers. Looking NE.

#47 – WS: Is this a trick or what? Appears to be same pix as #40 (car #34 leading the same train W/B at Kedzie).
(Duplicate photo, sorry! -Ed.)

#48 – EM: CAE 451 (St. Louis, 1945) leads a three-car westbound consist just west of the Des Plaines Av. interchange with the CTA. It is about to pass through the two cemeteries before crossing the Des Plaines river and turning NW towards 1st Av. Maywood.
(Editor’s note: off to the left, but not visible in this picture, would have been a large gas tank that was a Forest Park landmark for many years. This is the location of the Eisenhower expressway today.)

CA&E Mystery Photos – Part 2

July 16, 2015David Sadowski 11 Comments

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To celebrate the memory of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban, we are sharing many great color photos with you. This is the second of two parts. You can find our previous post here.

We’ve already received some great responses for the first batch, and we thank you for them. We’ll publish those once the contest has ended.

Tell us where these pictures were taken, if you can. In some cases it may not be possible to determine an exact location.

But besides that, give us some other interesting information about what you see. As usual, by clicking on each photo with your mouse, you can bring up a larger version in your browser.

Please refer to each image using the number provided in the caption. The contest deadline is midnight Chicago time on July 22nd.

You can send us your submissions as comments to this post, or by e-mail to:

thetrolleydodger@gmail.com

The contest winner will be the one who gives us the best overall submission. The prize will be a copy of our Railroad Record Club #35 and 36 compact disc, which includes vintage audio from both the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin and the CTA Garfield Park “L”. You will find this and much more in our Online Store.

Thanks.

-Ye Olde Editor

PS- I’ve known railfan historian and author Bill Shapotkin for many years and consider him a good friend. Today is his first day of retirement from his regular job. We wish him well in this new phase of life, and are sure he will keep very busy indeed. I hope you will join us in congratulating him.

Bill tells us that by some coincidence, one of the photos in our last post shows the house he grew up in. That’s what my Dad used to call “Kismet.”

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CA&E Mystery Photos – Part 1

July 14, 2015July 24, 2015David Sadowski 16 Comments

(Editor’s note: You can find the answers here.)

This month marks 58 years since the fabled Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban suspended passenger service in the middle of the day, stranding thousands of commuters who had taken it downtown that morning. Although there were efforts to save the railroad, or parts of it, after that fateful July 3rd in 1957, it all came to naught.

This important railroad, which ran downtown over the Chicago Transit Authority‘s Garfield Park “L” until September 1953, was abandoned in 1961 and has been turned into the Illinois Prairie Path. Several of its railcars were saved, and by far the best collection of them can be found at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, where they are operated frequently.

To celebrate the memory of the CA&E, we are sharing many great color photos with you. This is the first of two parts, and another batch will be posted on the 15th.

Although I can figure out several of the locations myself, I thought it would be best to get our readers involved, for I know there are many of you who enjoy figuring these things out. Therefore, we will have another mystery photo contest.

Tell us where these pictures were taken, if you can. In some cases it may not be possible to determine an exact location.

But besides that, give us some other interesting information about what you see. As usual, by clicking on each photo with your mouse, you can bring up a larger version in your browser.

Please refer to each image using the number provided in the caption. The contest deadline is midnight Chicago time on July 20th. The rest of the photos will be posted tomorrow (15th).

You can send us your submissions as comments to this post, or by e-mail to:

thetrolleydodger@gmail.com

Thanks.

-Ye Olde Editor

PS- The contest winner will be the one who gives us the best overall submission. The prize will be a copy of our Railroad Record Club #35 and 36 compact disc, which includes vintage audio from both the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin and the CTA Garfield Park “L”. You will find this and much more in our Online Store.

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Finishing The Rest of the Story

July 10, 2015July 13, 2015David Sadowski 2 Comments

CSL 4001 in service on route 22 Clark-Wentworth.

Our new e-book Chicago’s PCC Streetcars: The Rest of the Story is finally 100% finished. The discs are being made, and all current orders will be shipped within the next couple of days. (Editor’s note: all orders have now been shipped as of July 12th.)

We know that many of our devoted readers have been patiently awaiting this new work. We kept finding more new things to add, in our quest to give you, the reader, the maximum value for your $19.95 investment.

One addition was a tribute to the late Alan R. Lind, author of Chicago Surface Lines: An Illustrated History. The book is dedicated to him.

Several important photographs recently came to light, and these have been added to the book. Some are reproduced here in this post, and they are significant additions.

These include a rare photo of experimental CSL car 4001 in revenue service. There are very few such pictures, since this streetcar (now at the Illinois Railway Museum) was, in the words of Frank Hicks, a “hangar queen.” Since this car was different than any other that CSL had, a dedicated crew was assigned to it, and apparently proved rather temperamental to operate.

By comparison, car 7001, built by J. G. Brill, saw more use and was much closer to the eventual design used for the PCC streetcar starting in 1936. It is somehow ironic that Brill never built any PCCs. The firm had a policy of not paying royalties to other companies, and their “Brilliner” was a failure in the marketplace. Few were sold.

Another last-minute addition is a photo showing CSL prewar PCC 4021 in service. This is the only survivor from the prewar fleet, and 4021 is now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Chicago’s PCC Streetcars: The Rest of the Story includes my 59-page essay of 18,571 words, covering various Chicago PCC topics, including the mysterious 1937 “Green Book” that some claimed formed the blueprint for the Chicago Transit Authority; the CTA’s 10-year modernization program; transit unification; the red ink of the the CTA’s early years; an important 1951 consultant report that recommended keeping the PCCs, converted to one-man operation; how the 1952 purchase of the Motor Coach Company seems to have played a role in the decision to get rid of the PCCs; how the math of the PCC Conversion Program just doesn’t add up; and much more.

There are special sections with more than 325 rare high-quality images, none of which appear in the recently published CERA Bulletin 146, Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958. We urge everyone to purchase a copy of this important book, the most important book about Chicago streetcars to be published in the last 40 years, if you have not already secured your copy. You can purchase it online directly from CERA.*

Our new e-book comes on a single DVD data disc and is playable on any computer using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is a free download.

In addition to the text and pictures, there is more than 3,500 pages of bonus material, including 176 different historical newspaper and magazine articles, and several entire complete research books. You can read all the CTA Annual Reports from 1945 to 1976, the entire 12-volume Metropolitan Transit Research series by Chicago Transit Board member Werner W. Schroeder, various other 1950s CTA publications, the CTA 10-Year Modernization Plan, the 1941, 1948, 1952 and 1954 track maps, and much more.

This e-book should appeal to anyone interested in Chicago’s PCC streetcars. It gives what the late Paul Harvey used to call the “rest of the story.”

You can purchase your copy for just $19.95 from our Online Store using either PayPal or a debit or credit card. Shipping within the United States is free.

We thank everyone for their patience in waiting for the completion of this new addition to the slender shelf of Chicago streetcar publications.

Every dollar you spend on our products goes to help cover the costs of doing this important original research. We have other exciting new projects in the works. Besides buying our products, you can also make donations via our Online Store.

Many people tell us how much they enjoy this blog, and the pictures and videos we present. With your help, we will continue to give you more great images, and the stories behind them.

We thank you for your support.

-David Sadowski

*Trolley Dodger Press is not affiliated with Central Electric Railfans’ Association.

CTA 7267 heads southbound on route 36 in August 1954. The location is around 1100 N. State Street, and we are looking north.

1100 N. State Street as it looks today.

CTA 4016 pulls into the terminal at Western and 79th on route 49.

CTA 4015 near the south end of the Cottage Grove line.

CTA 4011 northbound on private right-of-way around Cottage Grove near 99th Street on route 4.

Cottage Grove and 99th Street today. We are looking north.

Union Street Railway 610, an Osgood-Bradley “Electromobile,” built in 1929, shown in New Bedford, MA.

A New York “Bluebird” articulated compartment car in service in 1949.

CTA articulated set 5002 in April 1949, in Garfield-Westchester service. George Foelschow says, “5002 is shown eastbound on CA&E owned track between Austin and Central with the wilds of Columbus Park in the background. The track map indicates a crossover and the interchange track with the B&OCT. Note the switch stands.”

CTA trolley bus 9754 at the west end of the Irving Park route.

CTA 4006 in the turnaround loop at 63rd Place and Narragansett.

The current CTA bus loop at 63rd Place and Armon Schmidt Road (Narragansett).

A CTA handout from 1948. These were put on transit vehicles in a holder marked “read as you ride.”

CSL 4021 at Madison and Canal in the 1940s. The only prewar Chicago PCC that survives, this car is now preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. (B. H. Nichols Photo)

CTA 4409 heads north on State near Harrison on route 36, July 22, 1955.

CTA 4035 heads south at Clark and Harrison on route 22 in the mid-1950s.

The finished product.

The 2015 Trolley Pageant @IRM

July 5, 2015July 5, 2015David Sadowski 6 Comments

The annual Trolley Pageant (some call it a Parade) at the Illinois Railway Museum is always a festive occasion, made more so this year by falling on July 4th. So this year, we helped celebrate our country’s freedom by riding many historic railcars at IRM.

Of special note is Indiana Railroad lightweight interurban car 65, the very first piece of equipment purchased by the museum back in 1953. Between last year and this, car 65’s unique “bucket” seats were marvelously reupholstered. According to the train operator, the job cost $20k and the Car 65 fund is still in the red because of this. I’m sure the museum would welcome donations to help cover the expense.

IR 65 also made a rare trip or two out on the trolley loop. The speedy interurban is almost always used on the main line, even though, being single-ended, it has to back up for half the trip.

As always, the volunteers at IRM do a great job, and are both friendly and knowledgeable.

IRM had six generations of Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit cars on display at various times around 50th Avenue station– woods, 4000s, single car units, 2000s, 2200s, and 2400s. There were even two trolley buses (both from Seattle) operating.

July 3rd was the 59th anniversary of that unfortunate moment when the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin unexpectedly quit passenger service in the middle of the day, stranding thousands of commuters who had to scramble to find a way home. The Illinois Railway Museum, with its unique collection, had no less than three different two-car trains of CA&E cars scheduled to operate Saturday.

Since this is the museum’s 62nd anniversary, here are 62 pictures taken on July 4th. We hope that you will enjoy them.

If you have never been to the museum, it’s well worth a trip.

-David Sadowski

Here is how the trains were scheduled to run:

2015 Trolley Parade – Main Line Schedule
CA&E 36-319 10:30 AM
CRT 1797/1268 10:45 AM
1630 Coach 11:00 AM
CA&E 409/431 11:30 AM
CTA 4290/4412 11:45 AM
CA&E 308-309 12:00 PM
CTA 41/30 12:15 PM
IRR 65 12:30 PM
CNSM 251-749 12:45 PM
1630 Coach 1:00 PM
CNSM 229 1:30 PM
CTA 2153/2154 1:45 PM
IRR 65 2:00 PM
TM D13 Cabooses 2:15 PM
Demo Freight 2:25 PM
CTA 2200s 2:45 PM
1630 Coach 3:00 PM
CSS 1100 3:15 PM
TM D13 Cabooses 3:45 PM
CSS 1100 4:15 PM
CTA 41/30 4:45 PM
1630 Coach 5:00 PM
CTA 4290/4412 5:30 PM *
CRT 1797/1268 6:00 PM *
*Extra trains, operate as needed based on crowd or send back to barn from 50th

2015 Trolley Parade – Car Line Schedule
CWT 141 Morning
CTA 1374 Morning
CTA 4391 All Day
VC 19 Afternoon
IT 415 Afternoon
CTA 3142 Morning

2015 Trolley Parade – Trolley Bus Service
Milwaukee Marmon 441 (however, Seattle 633 was used instead)
Seattle MAN Artic 4020

More Chicago Streetcars

July 1, 2015July 3, 2015David Sadowski 10 Comments

This 1935 CSL brochure shows experimental pre-PCC car 7001 and one of the 100 “Sedans,” which were then only six years old.

We continue our celebration of Chicago streetcars with several more great and rarely seen pictures. We managed to find another picture showing track work at Clark and Van Buren in 1954, and we’ve added it to a previous post on that subject that we made back in February.

Since we know some of you are also bus fans, we’ve thrown in a couple pictures of Chicago’s trolley coaches. While we have managed to identify most of these locations, there are a few that still need to be identified. If you can help with more information, don’t hesitate to contact us, either via a comment, or to: thetrolleydodger@gmail.com

-The Editor

PS- If you enjoy seeing these classic photographs, we can use your help. Check out our online store, where you can purchase our compact discs and electronic books. Our latest, Chicago’s PCC Streetcars- The Rest of the Story, ships this week and contains more than 3,500 pages of useful material plus hundreds of photographs, plus track maps and essays.

You can also make a donation to The Trolley Dodger if you support our continuing original research. We thank everyone who has helped us.

When this was published in 1935, free transfers between Chicago’s streetcars and the “L” were a new thing.

CTA streetcars 225 and 4406, in fantrip service, at Broadway and Ardmore on October 21, 1956., with 6000s on the “L” in the background.

CTA streetcars 225 and 4406, in fantrip service, at Clark and 16th on October 21, 1956. By this time, streetcars were only being used on weekdays on the busy Clark-Wentworth line, so the fantrip cars did not really get in the way of the replacement bus service being offered by CTA.

Here is another photo showing track work at Clark and Van Buren on July 17, 1954. We’ve added this to ten others we posted back in February. You can find that post at: http://thetrolleydodger.com/2015/02/12/track-work-clark-van-buren-1954/

CTA 4309 prepares to leave the nicely landscaped Clark-Arthur loop and head south on route 22.

CTA 7009 and follower at the loop at 63rd Place and Narragansett.

CTA 7015 at 63rd and Central Park.

CTA 4031 on 63rd Street.

Jeff Wien writes, “CTA 4275 at Clark and Devon turning east onto Devon on route 36: Broadway-State.”

CTA 7024 at the Central Park wye on the 63rd Street route.

Jeff Wien writes, “PCC 7165 is a route 49 Western pullout from Devon Station (Clark and Schreiber). Car is pulling off of Clark onto Devon to head west and south along Western to 79th St. In back of photo one can see the wall of the Ridge Theater that later became a part of the Clark-Devon Hardware Store.”

Jeff Wien writes,”CTA 7148: Clark-Devon looking north from just south of Devon: route 22.”

CTA 7186 southbound on Western. Not sure of the exact location.

CTA 4049 on that section of Cottage Grove that ran parallel to the Illinois Central electric suburban service (now Metra). The ad of the side of the PCC, advertising the Mickey Spillane film “The Long Wait,” currently playing at the Woods Theater, dates this photo to between about May 19 and June 14, 1954.

Cottage Grove near 98th as it looks today. This is where the streetcar ran on private right of way.

CTA 4015 at Cottage Grove and 115th, the south end of the line.

115th and Cottage Grove today.

Eastbound CTA 194 passes Wieboldt’s department store, which was located at about 850 W. 63rd Street, on May 1, 1952.

850 W. 63rd Street as it looks today.

CTA 188 heads west on 63rd Place near Austin during the summer of 1952. By this time, red cars had replaced PCCs on 63rd.

63rd Place and Austin today. We are facing west.

CSL 4051, with experimental door arrangement, leaves the Milwaukee-Imlay loop circa 1940-41. (Stephen D. Maguire Photo)

CTA 7057 turning onto Halsted from Waveland. (George Snyder Photo)

CTA trolley bus 470 heading eastbound at Lawrence and Western.

Lawrence and Western today.

A CSL trolley coach, from a 1935 brochure.

Our new E-book Chicago’s PCC Streetcars – The Rest of the Story ships this week.